First encounters of the Strangest Kind
by faerietaleredux
Summary: A bit of a prequel. Jade and Beck before Hollywood Arts; before they were an item. "I knew I needed to date her when I saw her purple combat boots above me, climbing out of a third story window."
1. prologue

Prologue

"The key to good storytelling is keeping your lies interesting but somehow believable. Beck, you're up first: two truths and a lie."

Beck rolled his tongue across the inside of his cheek, trying to determine which direction to take the assignment. He could go the predictable route and talk about breakfast or pets or something equally random but irrelevant. But that would not make for a good story... Suddenly he knew exactly what he needed to say.

"Truth number one: when I met Jade, she was blond and a freshman in public school."

Beck watched as a few of his classmates raised their eyebrows.

"Number two: Jade's mom was forcing her to enter the Miss Teen Hollywood Pageant."

There were outright snickers and guffaws now, all of them having a difficult time picturing the most hardcore girl in school sporting blond tresses and sequined high heels. But that was the point. There was a lot these people didn't know about his girlfriend.

"And finally, truth number three: I knew I needed to date her when I saw her purple combat boots above me, climbing out of a third story window."

The class clamored with noise. And after a couple of student's failed attempts to guess which was the lie, Andre finally got it. "Number one, right? Jade was never a blonde."

Beck smiled and shook his head. "You're right _and_ wrong. Number one was the lie, but not for that reason. Jade _was_ a blonde when we first met, but not a freshman. We were both sophomores."

"Does that mean the other two things—the pageant and combat boots—were true?"

"100 percent."

* * *

At lunch Tori and Andre cornered him, demanding more information. "You can't leave us hanging, man. That is the best back-story I've heard in a long time."

"Plus," Tori added, "I can't stop picturing Jade dressed like a Barbie doll and doing the princess wave. You've got to fill in the gaps so my brain can resume normal functioning! How am I supposed to memorize lines if all I can visualize is your girl friend with Vaseline smeared on her teeth?"

Beck just laughed. "Sorry guys. I think I've said enough."

"Are you afraid Jade's going to hurt you when she comes back to school tomorrow? That she won't appreciate you messing with her tough-girl reputation?"

Alright, that's exactly what he was afraid of. In Sychowitz's class it had made perfect sense to open their eyes to Jade's complexity. Now, not so much. But Beck couldn't very well admit that.

"I'm not afraid of anything," he said finally, ruffling up the collar on his jacket.

Tori crossed her arms. "Then spill."

Andre smiled, "We won't say a word, promise."

...


	2. initial sparks

i.

Beck cleared his throat. "I said earlier that Jade was blond when we first met—well, that wasn't entirely accurate. She also had strips of fuchsia highlights, and tips dyed an almost peacock blue."

Andre smirked, "that sounds more like the Jade we all know."

"I didn't know her then. But I wanted to. Seriously! She was like a Grecian siren from the Iliad, rainbows bouncing off her head and everything. But I wasn't even a lowly sailor. More like a deckhand."

Tori lifted a perfectly arched brow, "Somehow I doubt you had trouble getting her to notice you. Not to stroke your ego or anything, but girl-radar goes off the Richter-scale when you enter a room. Especially Jade's."

Beck laughed uncomfortably. "Let's just say I wasn't quite the suave guy I am now. Honestly, I don't think she knew I existed until she hit me in the face with a boot."

Beck paused, hoping they were done interrogating him.

They weren't.

"Don't even think about stopping there! You're not going anywhere until we hear the whole thing. Or at least plenty of details."

Beck considered making some sort of escape attempt and then remembered he was too cool for that sort of thing. With a long, reluctant sigh he told his and Jade's story.

.

I'd spent the afternoon helping my brother Raj lug equipment from his van to a convention center, which had been rented for some kind of high school beauty pageant. Raj was the dj and I was his lackey.

"You left the amp in the middle of a walkway. Move it before someone trips."

"Alright."

"And lay low after that. If I lose this gig because you get in the way, you're washing The Van for the rest of your existence. Got it?"

I mock saluted, "Aye, aye Captain Blood."

Raj rolled his eyes and resumed pretending he knew something about music. It's a mystery how he got this job in the first place. I don't think he knew what a turntable was until three weeks ago when a cold kept him home sick and he watched a VH-1 special on 80's DJ's.

I lifted the amp, securing it onto the stage. Then wandered backstage, looking for something to do. I wished laying low included some kind of snacks, but food wouldn't be arriving for hours. Not bringing my ipod, or at least a book, had been a big mistake on my part. What was I supposed to do for the rest of the night?

Something sounding like a dying bird screeched into the hallway. One of the doors to the dressing rooms opened and then slammed shut again. "What have you done to your hair?" screamed a woman's voice.

I inched forward, hiding behind curtains and a box of supplies.

"Sarah!" The woman-slash-dying-bird yelled. "Get me the box of hats from the truck."

A girl in curlers stepped out of the room, keys in hand, and leaving the door open just enough for me to get a decent view inside.

The source of the noise was one of the pageant-moms, who was yelling at another young girl inside the room, the mom waving her hands around in exaggerated in movements. It was embarrassing to watch. But at least it wasn't boring.

"I can't believe you, Jade! How are you supposed to compete tonight looking like a juvenile delinquent?"

Jade seemed unfazed by the commotion, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "I told you, _I'm not_ going to do this mom. Not for anything."

"It's a little late to be deciding that now—"

"I've told you every day for weeks! You just haven't been listening."

"Well, you agreed at some point. Can't go back on your word on a whim."

"Mom! Are you seriously pulling that? I agreed because I felt bad about _the divorce_. It was a moment of weakness I have come to regret many times over. And I'm pulling out—once and for all."

"But, Jade—"

"No! End of discussion. Let Sarah go the beauty queen route—because it is not for me. "

"Don't 'end of discussion me,' young lady. This talk's not over 'til I say it is. You're going to go out on that stage tonight. And you're gonna smile bigger than you ever have, purple hair and all. Because if you don't, you can forget about that summer Juliard program. _That _is a promise."

I got a glimpse of Jade's face before her mother stomped out of the room and slammed it with a BANG. That last threat had hurt, finally hitting a mark. That program must be important to her. Wasn't Julliard some kind of big-wig performing arts school? I could make out the sting in her eyes and the ever so slight quiver of her lip. But what got me worst of all was that in the seconds before the door crashed closed, she'd seen me. In a twitter of a second, she'd x-ray-visioned right through my camouflage, locked eyes with me and frowned.

And it was like looking into a volcano—all fiery and deep. Part of you wanting to run away to somewhere safe. But another something pulling you in. Craving that spark. And wanting to just…jump in. Molten lava and everything.

* * *

to be continued...

most likely


	3. switch in point

_Note: For Lori (**ride2night**), who I'm pretty sure has reviewed every story I've written. You're amazing, really. :) Special thanks also to everyone who's reviewed this; I really appreciate it!_

* * *

ii.

Tori hesitated, deciding whether or not to knock on Jade's bedroom door. She could leave now and no one would be the wiser. Well, no one but Jade's mom—who'd let her into the house. In the end, Tori's curiosity got the best of her. _She'd come this far, right? _Besides, Jade owed her one after the whole break-up-with-Beck and then do-anything-to-get-him-back fiasco.

Tori knocked loudly and could tell by Jade's expression that she was surprised (and less than thrilled to see her).

"What are you doing here?" she asked, rudely.

Tori tossed a pile of papers onto the bed. "How about a 'thank you' for bringing your homework?"

Jade just arched an eyebrow, doubting very much that Tori had come all this way to bring over drama notes.

"Alright, alright! I have an ulterior motive."

"I figured as much." Jade sniffled, grabbing a kleenex from a box on her desk. "Spill."

Tori smiled and sat on the bed, suddenly excited. "I really want to hear the story of how you and Beck first got together."

Ha! "You're joking right?" That was the last thing she'd expected to come out of Tori Vega's mouth.

"No! Dead serious."

"Where's this coming from?"

"Beck started to tell me and Andre—don't ask why. I'm not even supposed to say anything—but then the bell rang and he never finished the story… Now a normal person wouldn't care that much, but I have this absolute loathing for cliffhangers. Borderline phobia, really." She prattled on, a mile a minute—before Jade finally interrupted.

"Are you forgetting I'm sick? Colds make me irritable."

Tori avoided pointing out that Jade always seemed irritable, and just pouted her lips exaggeratedly. "Please?"

Jade rolled her eyes. "You're being ridiculous. Oh wait, that's normal for you."

Tori ignored the jibe, instead batting her eyelashes dramatically. "Pretty please? With mushrooms and pizza sauce on top?"

Jade made a face in disgust but finally gave in. She blamed the cold medicine for her weak moment of accommodation. "Fine. Where'd he leave off?"

"He said there was a point when you didn't know he existed. Like he was some puny nobody and you were this rock-star punk princess. Said you didn't even notice him until you smacked him with a combat boot? I'm confused about that part."

Hmph! "He's lying. How could anyone not notice Beck? I first saw him unloading equipment out of a van and thought my stomach might turn to jello; he was that hot!"

"Yeah, yeah. I get the picture. I'm looking for specifics."

"What are you, a critic? Anyway, I didn't let myself indulge in more than a casual curiosity since I already had a boyfriend."

"WHAT? Now that's juicy."

Jade rolled her eyes. "Are you going to keep interrupting with your less than interesting commentary or can I get on with the story?"

Tori shut up and let her continue.

….

My parents were going through a nasty divorce. Dad had started seeing some girl he'd met at chick-filet and it sent mom off her rocker. She became obsessed with making me and my sister 'the best we could be' without his help.

Whatever, that's just the tip of it and not the story I feel like telling or the one you want to hear.

I tried to cooperate at one point, but that didn't last. It was too miserable trying to be someone else's image of perfect. I was surrounded by girls parading around in their mother's heels—all in the hopes of outscoring the chick next to them. Pathetic! Plus it didn't help that my soccer star boyfriend's big game fell on the night of the preliminary pageant.

'_U gonna make it tonight?'_

I was still angry from the fight with my mom when I texted him back._ 'The parental unit still wants me to compete. Fuchsia hair failed.'_

'_Told you that wouldnt work.'_

'_Whatever. Not doing it. Dont want to miss ur game. &Im miserable here.'_

'_Just stick it out. We can go to the post-game party tomorrow nite. u can wear ur crown after u win :)'_

'_Not funny.' _

My sister came back into the dressing room, carrying a box of berets, hair combs, and other various forms of head-gear. I sorted through the items, picking out a comb with tiny pearls on it.

"You should wear this one tonight," I said, holding it up near Sarah's head.

"And what will you be wearing?"

I picked up a black beanie and twirled it around my finger.

Sarah shook her head. "You heard mom. She said you _have to_ compete tonight."

"The Barbie version of Jade West _will_ be competing. She's just going to be played by you instead of me. It's all been an act anyway and I've tired of the role."

There was an awkward pause before Sarah looked at the ground and swallowed. "I'll do this for you, on one condition."

"Name it."

"I want to go to boarding school. Chilton in Connecticut. Convince mom to let me go."

I blinked. That would not be an easy task; Mom had a hard time letting anything go lately. Sarah was barely going to start high school in the fall and she still had the look of a girl needing protecting. "I don't know—"

"It's a yes or no, Jade. A one-time offer. You're not the only one who's had it rough lately."

That was true. You couldn't blame her for wanting to get away. Isn't that what I was trying to do? "Alright. I'll try my best. Between the two of us, we'll make it happen."

….

Just before the pageant began, I zipped up Sarah's ivory dress and patted her on the head. "Knock 'em dead, sis."

She turned around to give me a smile and a fist bump.

Five minutes later, I was lowering myself out the two-story window using a rope from the utility closet. My plan was simple, but effective: get off the pageant grounds as inconspicuously as possible; text Leanne or one of the other kids going to the game and ask them to pick me up; watch boyfriend score winning goal and surprise him with my presence and a big hug while everyone's still high on the win. Yep, tonight was going to be goo—

"Ouch!"

I gasped, realizing that the object I hit with my boot was not a tree, but a person!

And he was down.

I dropped the last few feet to the ground, and rushed to his side. _Oh man._ It was the mysterious hot-boy of all people.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

His eyes looked glazed, dark lashes fluttering chaotically. "Huh?"

Close-up his skin looked baby soft—a glistening dark caramel in the moonlight. Leaning closer, I touched his temple, which looked bruised. He was bleeding!

"You're bleeding!"

"I am?" He seemed just as shocked as me.

"We need to get you to a doctor! You could have a concussion! Or an aneurism!" I could feel panic mode taking over my ability to form thoughts.

"Whoa there, I don't have any of that. Was just a little startled is all."

He started to get up from his position on the ground, as if to prove the validity of his words—but stumbled a as he stood.

"We're taking you to a doctor, come on." Grabbing him by the sleeve, I pulled him to the parking lot. "I'll just call a ride and we'll be at Tri-City Hospital in no time." I fumbled around my pockets for my phone. Nothing.

_Great. Just great._

"Don't suppose you have a cell phone on you?"

Hot boy shrugged an apology. "Sorry. I just moved here; won't get a phone till next week."

I sighed, willing the frustration away. "Not to worry, I have a plan."

* * *

_Note: This story seems to require a lot of setting up. I'm not entirely sure what it's building up to, but thanks for being along for the ride. Let me know what you think, ok? :)_


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